Fit: 4/10
A 4 out of 10 seems harsh on any review but I feel this one is justified. Rarely have I found a shoe as poorly designed as the Cage 3. The width of the shoe is pretty narrow throughout, but that is completely understandable and aligns with the usual fit of Nike shoes. The length fittings seemed different in the multiple pairs of this shoe I tested, which is quite bizarre and really does not do Nike any favours in my mind, when I already believe they are a hugely overrated and overpriced company in tennis. The huge problem with this shoe is the depth or height of the shoe. It is just so crazily shallow. My toes were crushed in the toe box when wearing a shoe a half size up and even a full size up from my regular fitting. This drove me crazy, and is just not an area a player can compromise one. Add to this the tight, movement restricting rubber cage overlay on the shoe and they’re suffocating all around.
Comfort: 5/10
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here just to bash these shoes. There are some elements I love in them, which you will read in a moment, but the fit of these shoes just ruin it overall for me, on a shoe I wanted so badly to adore. The sole of the shoe is rock solid in the all court variation, but much more forgiving in the clay edition, which I favoured. The padding inside is actually great but again it just makes them feel a little suffocating with no breathability.
Stability: 10/10
See?! Told you there were good points. I loved the stability of the Cage 3. The heel locks you right in place with the thick plastic band around the back of the shoe. The rubber cage holds you locked in place completely around your mid foot and toe box. It’s a clever design and a security feature that made me forgive the lack of comfort it caused somewhat. If Nike could just find a way to adjust the fit slightly whilst maintaining this level of support I could be converted, and Nike could be on to a winner.
Durability: 10/10
I saw absolutely no wear on this shoe during my time playtesting it, which I was really please with. Again it felt like a decent trade off on the comfort of the shoe, but again comfort is the area in which you cannot make sacrifices. I must say though, I think the durability was more a case of just an outrageously thick outsole rather than a really well made and hard wearing material on it.
Weight: 8/10
The clay variant of this shoe was absolutely spot on when it came to weight, and I really enjoyed the feel of them on my feet. The hardcourt version were much more noticeable, and I was not really a fan because of the weight of the sole rising up around the midsole and upper also, which turned me off the shoe a bit.
Aesthetics: 9/10
I think these shoes look amazing. They come in a tonne of different colourways, which sometimes look a little tacky, but if you stick to neutral colours, you’re on to a winner.
Overall Performance:
I am sure that this is a great shoe for many people, it’s just not for me. When I asked a friend to give it a go and give me their response, they also had similar criticisms to me. The one surprising difference was their problems as a result of very thin feet. When they tried to tighten the laces around their foot they couldn’t get it near tight enough because the thick rubber cage completely restricts cinching the laces. It has no give or real flexibility, and is too thick around the bottom of the laces in particular. I recommend trying the clay version of Cage 3 before you even think about buying, as it was by far the more comfortable of the variations.
(As a side note, I wore the Nike Zoom Cage 2’s for a few months and liked them quite a bit, so I am not a Nike basher as this review suggests!)
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